Meet Me on the Equinox
by SCARlettWinter
Summary: Scarlett Masen, vampire-hybrid, long-lost cousin to Edward Cullen, extraordinarily gifted, and newest Voulturi member! And let us not forget her strained, but blossoming relationship to one of the most dangerous members on the guard, Alec. Reviews Please
1. Reminiscing on the Run

My breathing was coming in raspy gasps, my legs a blur of speed beneath me, my heart beating a million times a second. But, I still wouldn't stop. Or, more like couldn't stop.

Leaves, branches, and dirt, whirled around me as I ran father from what I could sense not to far behind me. My dark hair whipped me in the face as I ran to my limit as, I ran west. I wondered if they'd still follow me once I got to the ocean. I would swim the whole way if I had too, never stopping. Not, with them after me, the Volturi.

I took a deep breath and shut my mouth as I kept running to listen. I didn't hear anything like the sound of blindingly fast feet on the ground. I breathed through my nose as I kept my pace throught the dense forest. But, more importantly, I didn't hear any other voice in my head except my own, screaming at me to run. Not that I could hear Demetri in my head. Yet. My ability to read minds served to be one of my most useful tools to avoid being found out, or in this case, caught. I could also hear every thing passing through your head, whether it be a, crystal clear vampire memory, or a hazy, vague human , I needed to only touch that person once, for both my gifts to work. Only once. And seeing as how I'd never had any physical contact with Demetri, I didn't know if he was still tracking me. My second gift, and my personal favorite, allowed me to show people what I was thinking or things I had seen in the past or present. And the best part was, no physical contact necessary for that one. Could, but I preffered not to.

So I was a walking, talking, mind reading thought player. A two in one if you will. These to gifts, intertwined in that strange way.

I felt my eyelids droop, sleep was necessary, even for someone who was half-vampire. I'd never really needed sleep, only every now and then. I paused ever so slightly, the only sound my even breathing. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of doubt in my stomach, my senses weren't as heightened as that of a vampire's, but they were way higher up, than a human's.

I looked around my surroundings, nothing except me, and tall, enormous, trees, covered in leaves.

I lowered my self into a crouch and sprang up and caught, the highest branch in my reach. Once, both hands were firmly clutching it, I swang my arms, and did a sort of backward flip, like some trapeze artist, and landed on the largest, highest branch,in the collosssal tree, on my feet. I sat myself down and wearily leaned against the tree, and looked up at the starry night sky.

The white full moon shone brightly, bleaching the forest of color, making it black and white.

My mind began to wander, searching for someplace to shut down, and let the darkness fog up my mind.I needed to think happier memories, immerse myself in them. Sadly, I couldn't really find one that I considered 'happy'. So, I decided to pick one that was a little less terrifying.

My eyes closed in exhaustion as I let the memory consume me.

_November 17, 1896_

_"Scarlett." a bronze haired, green eyed woman breathed my name. She was cradling me in her arms, I had just been born._

_"L-let m-me see..Elizabeth." a raspy, strained voice said._

_The woman holding me, Elizabeth, handed me into a different pair of arms. This woman's hair was shorter, but her eyes were a piercing blue, like the wide open ocean. From her mid torso and down, she was covered in blood. it made my throat burn in an odd, uncomfortable way. _

_"S-she's so...beautiful." her voice was tired, awed._

_I gave her a small smile at the compliment. I had spent about a month in her stomach, listening and hearing the thoughts and voices of others. Then, her face contorted into what could only be pain and she let out a small cry._

_Just then, I was snatched out of the bloodied woman's arms and back into Elizabeth's._

_She gazed down at the woman, who could've been mistaken as her twin. Her face was devoid_

_of emotion,but her eyes were filled with pain. _

_"P-Promise y-you'll take c-care of Scarlett for m-me, L-Lizzy." the woman rasped out._

_Elizabeth nodded. "Of course, I promise Cathy."_

_Cathy, my mother, let out a skin crawling shriek. I cringed agaist Elizabeth, while she held me closer. My mother's wails become louder as her eyes rolled in the back of her head. Finally, they started to die down, until all I could hear were the thoughts of my aunt Elizabeth._

_What will I do? What if he comes back for her? Oh, where's Edward?_

_These thoughts and other variations of them swirled around her head as she began to pace around her home. I peeked up at her face and was surprised to see tears running down her face, her emerald orbs sparkling._

_Suddenly, she began to hum quietly, and I felt my eyelids droop to the soothing sound of her voice._

_And soon I fell unconsious, her quiet humming had a slight panicky edge to it._

_Sometime in November, 1904_

_I had just reached my physical maturity a year prior to today. I would be physically 16 forever, and technically I was only seven years old. However my mind had raced ahead, so mentally I was like an adult. I let out a small sigh. I would never fit in anywhere. My human mother dead, all because of what I was. And my vampire father was nowhere to be found._

_My aunt Elizabeth and her husband Edward Masen, had taken me in, despite what I was. They treated me like their own daughter, and for that I'd be eternally grateful. Literally._

_I was watching my cousin little Edward stumble across the carpet, he had turned two a few months ago, and was already try to walk and talk on his own. _

_He looked just like my aunt in that strange way. Same bronze hair, same emerald like eyes._

_He fell on his bottom, and instead of cying like other toddlers would, he furrowed his tiny brows in frustration, and lifted himself back up. I clapped my hands quietly and he gave me a small crooked smile. He was such an odd baby._

_I sighed once more, and pulled Edward into my arms. His wide emerald orbs gazed up at my face, as if he knew what I were thinking. I wondered if he'd remember me after I left. Probably not. I had made plans with my surrogate parents, that I'd go study abroad somewhere, and find out if there were others like me. Chicago wasn't inconspicuous enough for me to stay much longer. I couldn't go out much, unless it had to do with hunting, but other than that I hadn't really seen much of the outside world. They would take me out of state every once in a while, teaching me about the world and its ways. But, I knew that I couldn't burden them with my prescence much longer. So I would leave today and never come back...._

A blinked tiredly for a few seconds, my eyes adjusting to the pitch black darkness in less

than a second. I looked up to see the full moon, that was now partly obscured by dark purplish-

gray clouds. Something seemed out of place. Not right. Wrong. I stood up wobbily and then something hard and cold snaked itself around my waist.

I let out a startled cry. Then a pair of wintry lips were at my ear. "Gotcha."

I shuddered. Game over.

"Aro will be pleased to know we've found you, right Felix?" a deep musical voice spoke.

Demetri, of course. How convenient. I knew there was no point in fighting back now, it was two against one.

I turned to see Felix, he wore a long, dark ashy gray cloak. He nodded at Demetri's remark.

"How'd you find me?" I hissed.

Demetri smirked. "It's like they say, you can run, but you can't hide."

Then, in one of his blinding fast movements, he threw me over his shoulder and broke into a run.

Felix caught up to him, runnning just as fast. They were like two pale and gray blurs as they ran through the black forest. Ran past the outskirts of Italy. Ran to my demise. How pleasant.


	2. Introducing, His Soon ToBe Personal Hell

[Third Person/ Scarlett P.O.V.]

She felt the truth finally sink in once they had reached Palazzo dei Priori. She'd been completely silent the whole way back, not bothering to fight back or even listen to the thoughts she could hear buzzing in Demetri's head. It was pointless. It all seemed to suddenly weigh her down, she could hear her heart thrumming a mile per minute. It would all be over so soon, for _her _end was near. And Scarlett knew she didn't need to have her ability read minds to know what would be going through Aro's. At least he wouldn't be able to look into her head. Aside from her two exponentially other gifts, she had what other's might consider a third. Scarlett was able to block out mental intrusions. It was a small, but subtle talent.

For a strange, brief second she couldn't help but wonder if they'd decide to keep her or just kill her. And in that same second, she could actually envision herself in a long ashy cloak, among the rest of the guard, her eyes a bright bloodred crimson. But a second was all it lasted. Scarlett then mentally scolded herself. What the hell was wrong with her? Did she truly rather be enslaved than killed? Something told her she already knew the answer to that question.

A small part of her knew that they'd never except her, never consider, even if she were to beg. All because she was a half-breed. A cross between two beings that just shouldn't exist. Couldn't exist. And wouldn't. Not much longer anyway.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she agreed with the decision they would no doubtdedly vote unanimously on. Perhaps she did deserve to die. Scarlett knew that she was the reason her mother had died, no matter what her 'foster parents' had tried to convince her otherwise.

All of a sudden, Demetri had set her on her feet, but still grasped one hand in his much larger one's tightly. She was about to give him a questioning look, but didn't. Because Scarlett had gone into a brief lapse of shock. Never, in all the years of her existence, had she touched another vampire's skin. She'd always thought their skin to be unnaturally cold, especially to her seeing as she was warm-blooded. But surprisingly, it wasn't. However,it was nowhere near as warm as hers was, but it was _warm._ It felt odd though, unfamiliar.

She also took notice of the fact that she still had her blindfold on. Demetri had told her that it was merely a precaution and Felix had laughed. She still hadn't said a word since they'd caught her.

"When can I take this thing off?" she asked tonelessly, trying to hold back the hysteria in her voice. She would die in so little time.

"I see you've got your voice back." he said, Scarlett could hear the hint of amusement in his tone.

She scowled. "When?" she repeated.

He sighed, but didn't answer.

Scarlett felt her face heat up in anger. "The least you can do is answer my question, seeing as I'll probably be dead in the next couple of minutes."

"Who knows maybe Aro will decide to keep you around."

She snarled slightly. "I'd rather die than become another of Aro's puppet's."

Demetri murmered back, "You know you don't mean that." She didn't have to see to know that he was probably staring down at her, eyes narrowed in anger.

She didn't answer back, to upset to even snap back waith a decent enough retort.

"I got the grate open, Aro's waiting." It took her a few seconds to realize that the voice belonged to Felix. It surprised her that she hadn't even noticed that he was gone, as lost in her thoughts as she was. Scarlett sighed internally, so much for the whole mind-reading thing.

She felt them pull her along, never letting go of her hand or an arm. Since she had no interest in going back to her thoughts, she tried to listen to the sounds around her, make out just what exactly they were.

Her listening was cut short, when she stopped hearing the sound of Felix's suprisingly heavy, but rhythmitic footsteps with their own.

Confusing her even more, she felt Demetri relinquish his hold on her arms, and moving to grip both wrists. Scarlett dangled her legs, struggling to feel the ground beneath her, but there was nothing there.

"Drop her" Felix's voice came from below. Wait, drop her?

"What do you mean drop me?" she asked sharply.

Demetri laughed, "Just don't scream."

"Wh-" but her voice as she felt the air whip past her,she bit down on her bottom lip preventing herself from shouting. She waited to feel the hard ground, that would probably end up breaking her fall. So she breathed in a slight sigh of relief when she landed into a muscled pair of arms.

"Okay, Dem, you've had your fun, now it's my turn to play guard the prisoner." Felix said, still not setting Scarlett down.

Demetri's quiet footsteps walked towards us. "Fine, it's not like we'll be able to play with her much longer."

They both chuckled slightly when they heard the sound of her heart accelerate slightly.

She growled at them.

Felix laughed again. "She's fiesty even when she's about to die."

I scowled slightly. "When are you going to take this _damn thing off my eyes?"_

"When we get there." Demetri answered calmly.

Scarlett let them walk her, _scratch that, let Felix carry her_, around to wherever the hell they were supposed to be. She strained her ears to hear anything, murmuring voices, gliding footsteps.

But she couldn't hear a thing, but she could smell_ something_. Vampire, and _human scents?_

It took her a few seconds to process that. She'd known, what most of the vampires who walked the earth already knew, the Volturi killed humans to..._quench their thirst_. So why, could she smell humans that weren't dead yet? Unless, the Volturi had more to do with them then she'd thought.

She had been so caught up in her thoughts, that she jumped slightly when Felix set her on her feet and felt Demetri's cold fingers untie the cloth that had been obscuring her vision. She blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. And once she did, all she could was stare in wonder, despite the horrifying fear she felt seeping through her like poison.

The room was unnaturally circular, like a castle turret. Which it most likely was. If, one were to look up, two stories to be exact, they'd notice that thin rectangles of bright sunlight was thrown on the floor, by long window slits. In the middle of the oddly round room, was another drain, Scarlett briefly wondered if they used it as an exit. She also noticed that the only furniture in the room, were three carved colossal wooden chairs.

And upon the chairs sat, the three vampires she had hoped to never have met. She'd had plaguing nightmares about them. Aro, Marcus, and Caius. And now that she stood there, a good couple of feet away from the drain, she could feel all the hope she had held on to vanish.

However, they were not the only one's in the room, there were a few more converged silently around them. Their smooth voices just, but a hum in the air. They were all dressed rather inconspicuously, except the three ancients. Felix and Demetri nudged me forward, and the moment we stepped in, all faces seemed to be on us, or rather me. Most likely due to the sound of her frenzied heart.

Suddenly, the man sitting in the chair that was placed right in the center stood up, an excited smile on his face.

"Felix! Demetri! You've found Scarlett! Isn't this wonderful brothers?" he cried his voice a soft sigh, he clapped his pale hands together in evident delight. The sound seemed to vertebrate of the walls, for the room had gone quiet. With the exception, of Scarlett's beating heart.

She couldn't help but let a slight blush cover her cheekbones. She almost wanted to smack herself. She was probably about to be killed and she was blushing. It was just like her, embaress yourself at the worst time possible.

"Yes, Master. We brought her just as you said." Demetri said silkily.

He smiled brightly towards us once more. Scarlett could practically feel the excitement exuding from him.

"Indeed you have. Now why don't you go and fetch the others Felix?" Aro replied, obviously beyond pleased.

Felix nodded once and disappeared back the way we'd come.

He turned to face her more directly than before, and she got see all of his face. His hair was jet-black and contrasted shockingly with his extremely pale, frail-looking skin. However it was his eyes that she couldn't look away from. They seemed to be a faint hypnotic quality to them. They were a milky red, and looked a bit hazy around the edges.

With great effort she tore her gaze away from Aro, and moved to survey the other two, that sat on either side of him. To his left sat, who she assumed to be Caius, his snowy white hair was a shade darker than his translucent skin. He had a sour expression plastered on his face as he looked down upon her, as if she were a waste of his time. On Aro's right was who she guessed to be Marcus. His hair was just as dark as Aro's and his skin was equally paper-white. They both had the same milky red eyes, but something in Marcus's hollow eyes unnerved her.

The sound of Felix's footsteps brought her out of her ogling, and she turned to see that he had brought three others.

The first was a tall brunette, with violet eyes. The second girl with lank pale brown almost blond hair, with wide blood red eyes. But it was the third boy that had came in that held Scarlett's attention. He looked extraordinarily like the girl who held his hand. Of course with few exceptions, his hair was dark brown, and his lips weren't nearly as full. However, it wasn't any of these things that wouldn't let her look away.

It was the way he was staring at her, with an almost hungry expression. She could only stare back, just as transfixed as he was, but for the wrong reason. She felt a faint blush coming back to grace her cheeckbones once more, as the seconds passed by.

"Ah, I see you've brought them. Thank you Felix." Aro said his voice still as excited as before. It didn't slip Scarlett's atttention that he seemed completely oblivious to the little starefest that had just occurred.

Caius's glare was becoming more pronounced upon his face as he stared down upon her with obvious dislike.

"It seems that we have quite a gifted friend within our midst." Aro announced, his feathery voice high with triumph.

---

The beautiful boy's head was bent low over a thick, dusty volume, his crimson eyes darting back and forth across the yellowing page. He stared down at it, as if he were trying to decipher some hidden meaning behind the faded words, but his concentration was broken when an angelic, but irritated voice spoke up.

"Demetri's coming." he turned his head towards his sister, slightly annoyed.

He merely raised an eye brow and turned back to his book. "Remind me why I should care?"

Jane shot a scowl in his direction, and he rolled his eyes. She had always felt the need to inform him of something first, she loved being the superior one. The one in command, even before they were turned. Perhaps you do bring your past traits in the next life he thought to himself.

"Heidi too." she muttered quietly. "What do they...?" Jane trailed off, listening intently.

Suddenly, Felix, accompanied by Heidi, sauntered in to the wide room, a slightly smug expression on his face.

"What do you want?" Alec asked, eyes narrowing, as he shut his book with an audible snap.

Felix smirked, "Well, if you must kno-"

"Spit it out." Jane hissed.

"Aro wants us in the dining hall." he answered, still smirking. They'd always called the room were they were, _fed_, the 'dining hall'. It was their inside joke.

At the mention of Aro, Jane had already darted out. Alec sprinted silently to flit after her, with Felix and Heidi not too far behind.

Alec had always been prepared for anything. What with his gift, and having already been taught the basics of when it came to fighting, he was alwasy at the ready. Whenever Aro or the two ancients required his gift, he had been there. Right next to Jane, ready to incapacitate the obvious threat.

But what he hadn't been prepared for, was the surprise that waited for him.

In three seconds they were at the door of the room. And right in the center stood a...girl.

He used girl for the lack of a better word.

The Volturi, being vampires before anything else, so of course, they were inhumanely beautiful.

However, this one, like Heidi, and the blond and bronze-haired Cullen girls, beauty was breathtaking, unforgettable.

Alec could only stare blankly at her.

She stood in the center of the room, standing just as still as the rest of them. Except, she seemed less graceful, less fluid, than the rest of them, even though she was still as stone. However, this took nothing away from her. It made her better in an odd way. But it wasn't just her posture that seemed to confuse everyone in the room except Aro. It was her looks too. Her skin was cream and roses, silky and flawless. Instead of sparkling like theirs, hers seemed to give off a faint ethereal

glow, contrasting nicely with her long dark-brown hair that framed her pale heart-shaped face. But it were her eyes that seemed to single her out. They were a peircing blue.

However, it wasn't her stance or her remarkably good looks that held his attention in that second. It was her _scent_. In that instant, there was no comparison to the force that seemed to crash down on him. Any shred of humanity that he'd had left seem to rip itself in even tinier pieces. Nothing else in the world seemed to matter anymore. Not his love for his sister or his loyalty to the Volturi. Nothing at all.

Okay, first I want to say thank you to the people who _did _review, or added my story to their favorites. You guys are freaking _amazing. _And now, I believe it's time for me to get insanely insecure and ask you guys if it totally sucks. Was the chapter too long? Was it too Edward&Bella-y? What with the whole _la tua cantante_stuff? I thought it was pretty good, at first, but I mean you guys are the one's reading it...But trust me, it will get better. Hopefully.


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